@phdthesis{Grotemeyer2019,
  author    = {Grotemeyer, Alexander},
  title     = {Characterisation and application of new optogenetic tools in \(Drosophila\) \(melanogaster\)},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-17879},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-178793},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Since Channelrhodopsins has been described first and introduced successfully in freely moving animals (Nagel et al., 2003 and 2005), tremendous impact has been made in this interesting field of neuroscience. Subsequently, many different optogenetic tools have been described and used to address long-lasting scientific issues. Furthermore, beside the 'classical' Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), basically a cation-selective ion channel, also altered ChR2 descendants, anion selective channels and light-sensitive metabotropic proteins have expanded the optogenetic toolbox. However, in spite of this variety of different tools most researches still pick Channelrhodopsin-2 for their optogenetic approaches due to its well-known kinetics. In this thesis, an improved Channelrhodopsin, Channelrhodopsin2-XXM (ChR2XXM), is described, which might become an useful tool to provide ambitious neuroscientific approaches by dint of its characteristics. Here, ChR2XXM was chosen to investigate the functional consequences of Drosophila larvae lacking latrophilin in their chordotonal organs. Finally, the functionality of GtACR, was checked at the Drosophila NMJ. For a in-depth characterisation, electrophysiology along with behavioural setups was employed. In detail, ChR2XXM was found to have a better cellular expression pattern, high spatiotemporal precision, substantial increased light sensitivity and improved affinity to its chromophore retinal, as compared to ChR2. Employing ChR2XXM, effects of latrophilin (dCIRL) on signal transmission in the chordotonal organ could be clarified with a minimum of side effects, e.g. possible heat response of the chordotonal organ, due to high light sensitivity. Moreover, optogenetic activation of the chordotonal organ, in vivo, led to behavioural changes. Additionally, GtACR1 was found to be effective to inhibit motoneuronal excitation but is accompanied by unexpected side effects. These results demonstrate that further improvement and research of optogenetic tools is highly valuable and required to enable researchers to choose the best fitting optogenetic tool to address their scientific questions.},
  subject      = {Optogenetik},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Guan2016,
  author    = {Guan, Chonglin},
  title     = {Functional and genetic dissection of mechanosensory organs of \(Drosophila\) \(melanogaster\)},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-146220},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {In Drosophila larvae and adults, chordotonal organs (chos) are highly versatile mechanosensors that are essential for proprioception, touch sensation and hearing. Chos share molecular, anatomical and functional properties with the inner ear hair cells of mammals. These multiple similarities make chos powerful models for the molecular study of mechanosensation. In the present study, I have developed a preparation to directly record from the sensory neurons of larval chos (from the lateral chos or lch5) and managed to correlate defined mechanical inputs with the corresponding electrical outputs. The findings of this setup are described in several case studies. (1) The basal functional lch5 parameters, including the time course of response during continuous mechanical stimulation and the recovery time between successive bouts of stimulation, was characterized. (2) The calcium-independent receptor of α-latrotoxin (dCIRL/Latrophilin), an Adhesion class G protein-coupled receptor (aGPCR), is identified as a modulator of the mechanical signals perceived by lch5 neurons. The results indicate that dCIRL/Latrophilin is required for the perception of external and internal mechanical stimuli and shapes the sensitivity of neuronal mechanosensation. (3) By combining this setup with optogenetics, I have confirmed that dCIRL modulates lch5 neuronal activity at the level of their receptor current (sensory encoding) rather than their ability to generate action potentials. (4) dCIRL´s structural properties (e.g. ectodomain length) are essential for the mechanosensitive properties of chordotonal neurons. (5) The versatility of chos also provides an opportunity to study multimodalities at multiple levels. In this context, I performed an experiment to directly record neuronal activities at different temperatures. The results show that both spontaneous and mechanically evoked activity increase in proportion to temperature, suggesting that dCIRL is not required for thermosensation in chos. These findings, from the development of an assay of sound/vibration sensation, to neuronal signal processing, to molecular aspects of mechanosensory transduction, have provided the first insights into the mechanosensitivity of dCIRL. In addition to the functional screening of peripheral sensory neurons, another electrophysiological approach was applied in the central nervous system: dCIRL may impact the excitability of the motor neurons in the ventral nerve cord (VNC). In the second part of my work, whole-cell patch clamp recordings of motor neuron somata demonstrated that action potential firing in the dCirl\(^K\)\(^O\) did not differ from control samples, indicating comparable membrane excitability.},
  subject      = {Taufliege},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Kugler2008,
  author    = {Kugler, Sabrina},
  title     = {Wirkung von Cannabinoiden auf die Tandemporenkaliumkan{\"a}le TASK-1 und TASK-3},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-27922},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2008},
  abstract  = {In dieser Arbeit wurde die Wirkung der unges{\"a}ttigten Fetts{\"a}ure Arachidons{\"a}ure, des Endocannabinoids Anandamid und des synthetischen Cannabinoid-Rezeptor-Agonisten WIN55,212-2 auf die Tandemporenkaliumkan{\"a}le TASK-1 und TASK-3 untersucht. Dazu wurden an Xenopus Oozyten, denen die entsprechende Kanal-RNA injiziert wurde, in der Zwei-Elektroden-Spannungsklemme elektrophysiologische Messungen durchgef{\"u}hrt. Zun{\"a}chst wurden f{\"u}r alle drei Substanzen Dosis-Wirkungs-Beziehungen bestimmt. Diese f{\"u}hrten zu folgenden Ergebnissen: • TASK-1 wird durch WIN55,212-2 um bis zu ca. 81\% gehemmt. Die IC50 betr{\"a}gt 0,83 µM. Anandamid besitzt eine IC50 von 1,92 µM und hemmt den Strom um bis zu ca. 71\%. Bei WIN55,212-2 bzw. bei Anandamid liegt mit einem Hill-Koeffizienten (nH) von 1,65 bzw. von 1,42 positive Kooperativit{\"a}t vor. Arachidons{\"a}ure hingegen inhibiert den Strom nur um bis zu ca. 63\%. Die IC50 betr{\"a}gt 11,3 µM. Der Hill-Koeffizient von 0,9 ergibt negative Kooperativit{\"a}t. • TASK-3 wird durch alle drei Substanzen deutlich weniger inhibiert. Die maximale Inhibition durch WIN55,212-2 [10µM] betr{\"a}gt 32,4\% (± 9,7). F{\"u}nf µM Anandamid bzw. 80 µM Arachidons{\"a}ure verursachen eine Hemmung um 32,1\% (± 5,4) bzw. um 20,3\% (± 5,5). Bei beiden Kanalproteinen wurde außerdem untersucht, welche Bedeutung den Aminos{\"a}uren in Position 243-248, die bei TASK-1 und TASK-3 mit Ausnahme einer Aminos{\"a}ure {\"u}bereinstimmen, bei der Wirkung von Cannabinoiden zukommt. Dazu wurden Mutationsstudien im Bereich des C-Terminus von TASK-1 und TASK-3 durchgef{\"u}hrt. • Es wurden die sechs Aminos{\"a}uren in Position 243-248 aus TASK-1 bzw. TASK-3 entfernt (TASK-1 [243-248] bzw. TASK-3 [243-248]). Die inhibitorische Wirkung von WIN55,212-, Anandamid und Arachidons{\"a}ure war bei TASK-1 [243-248] deutlich vermindert, w{\"a}hrend es bei TASK-3 [243-248] zu unterschiedlichen Effekten kam. • Der gesamte C-Terminus des TASK-1 wurde entfernt, mit Ausnahme der sechs Aminos{\"a}uren in Position 243-248. Außerdem wurden die endst{\"a}ndigen Aminos{\"a}uren RSSV an das Restprotein angef{\"u}gt, da diese f{\"u}r einen gut funktionierenden Transport in die Membran notwendig sind (TASK-1 [249-390RSSV]. Die Wirkungen von WIN55,212-2, Anandamid und Arachidons{\"a}ure entsprachen bei dieser Mutante denen, die beim TASK-1 [Wildtyp] beobachtet wurden. • Durch Punktmutation wurde beim TASK-3 Leucin an Position 247 durch Methionin ersetzt (TASK-3 [L247M]. Diese Mutante besitzt dadurch in Position 243-248 das gleiche Sequenzmotiv wie der TASK-1. Im Vergleich zum TASK-3 [Wildtyp] waren die Wirkungen der Cannabinoide bei dieser Mutante jedoch unver{\"a}ndert. Diese Ergebnisse lassen den Schluss zu, dass die untersuchten Cannabinoide eine rezeptorunabh{\"a}ngige, spezifische und reversible inhibitorische Wirkung auf die Tandemporenkaliumkan{\"a}le TASK-1 und TASK-3 haben. Die Aminos{\"a}uren in Position 243-248 sind f{\"u}r diese Wirkung der Cannabinoide von wesentlicher Bedeutung.},
  subject      = {Kaliumkanal},
  language  = {de}
}